Carson Soldiers field test new body armor

Michael Spencer, a new equipment trainer from Project Manager Soldier Protection Individual Equipment at Fort Bragg, N.C., demonstrates how the Modular Scalable Vest can be separated into different configurations during the final round of field testing at Fort Carson Oct. 18, 2017. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Lance Pounds)

By Staff Sgt. Lance Pounds

Soldiers with the 71st Ordnance Group (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) and 10th Hazardous Response Company participated in the final round of field testing for the Army’s new body armor during a weeklong series of evaluated tasks conducted at Fort Carson Oct. 16-20, 2017.

According to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center’s website, the Modular Scalable Vest (MSV) is part of the Soldier Protection System (SPS) and is the Army’s next generation Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) system. The SPS is a modular, scalable, tailorable system designed to defeat current threats at a reduced weight in comparison to the Army’s existing PPE.

“We have been working on this vest for the past five years and have since gone through four versions of the vest and an additional two versions of the Soldier plate carrier system,” said McNair.

He said once the evaluation is complete, the vest will go into production and is expected to reach Soldiers in the field by summer.
Debuting in 2008, the Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) modular design was carried over and improved upon for the MSV. Most of the pouch attachment ladder system has been replaced with a rubber-like material with laser-cut slots. The improvement still allows Soldiers to affix mission-essential gear to the vest, while reducing overall weight.

The MSV weighs approximately 11 pounds, based on a medium-sized vest without ballistic plates. Fully configured, it weighs approximately 25 pounds, which is five pounds lighter than the IOTV.

McNair said the big push to design a new body armor was based on “cutting down on the weight of a Soldier’s load.”

Many of the testers said the MSV was noticeably lighter than their current body armor.

“Compared to my IOTV, this vest is lighter and cooler, has a greater range of motion and a better fit,” said 1st Lt. Dawn Ward, platoon leader, 663rd Ordnance Company, 242nd EOD Battalion, 71st EOD, and officer in charge during the evaluation.

“It is a huge improvement over previous body armors,” Ward said.

In addition to saving weight, the MSV is scalable, which was made possible by a four-tier configuration that will allow the wearer to tailor the vest to better fit mission requirements.

The first tier enables a Soldier to pull out the inside soft armor to be used as concealable body armor while the second tier is the soft armor with plates. The third tier is the vest with ballistic plates and soft armor and the final tier is the addition of a ballistic combat shirt that has built-in neck, shoulder and pelvic protection and a belt system designed to relocate much of what Soldiers affix to their vest to their hips.

Spc. Isaac Bocanegra, EOD technician, 764th Ord, 242nd EOD, said he prefers the MSV’s ballistic combat shirt over the IOTV’s yoke and collar setup because it gives him more range of motion.

“I currently wear the IOTV about twice each day and it is quite a bit heavier than this body armor,” he said. “Having this new body armor would make my job so much easier.”

McNair said the premise of the tier system is to evenly distribute the system’s weight and reduce stress on a Soldier’s upper body.

“It will be up to unit leadership to determine the level of protection required for wear,” said McNair.

The MSV retained the quick-release feature first used in the IOTV to allow for easy removal in emergency situations, but with a simpler and interchangeable design. Instead of a single pull tab, the MSV has a buckle system that can be used in one of three ways; left shoulder, right shoulder or both.

Extended sizing options allow the MSV to be tailorable and more accommodating to most body types.

“The extended range allows Soldiers to be more comfortable while performing tasks with greater ease,” said McNair.

“I have an extra small because it positions the plates where I need them to be and it has a tighter fit for me,” said Spc. Hannah Carver-Frey, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist with 10th HRC.

In addition to developing the lighter weight body armor, McNair said developers at PEO Soldier are also working on an improved protective helmet system. It, too, will be lighter than current protective helmets and capable of stopping certain 7.62 rounds.